Report: Salford City 1-1 Leeds United

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Leeds United

·29 August 2023

Report: Salford City 1-1 Leeds United

Whites knocked out after penalty shootout.

Carabao Cup Round Two

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Salford City 1 (Smith 34)

Leeds United 1 (Struijk 76)

Salford City win 9-8 on penalties

Salford: Cairns, Shephard (McLennan 45), Mariappa, Tilt, Bolton, Garbutt (Lund 73), Mallan, Ashley, Watson, Hendry (McAleny 70), Smith (Dackers 88). Subs not used: Olopade, Wright, Vassell, Berkoe, Bailey.

Leeds: Darlow, Hjelde, Cresswell, Struijk, Shackleton, Ampadu, Gray (Greenwood 76) Gnonto, Summerville, Gelhardt (Sinisterra 61), Rutter. Subs not used: Meslier, Klaesson, Ayling, Rodon, Gyabi, Bate, Drameh.

Booked: Mariappa (Salford), Gnonto (Leeds)

Referee: Oliver Langford

Venue: Peninsula Stadium

Attendance: 3,147 (1,238 Leeds)

Leeds United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup as Salford City won 9-8 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw at the Peninsula Stadium.

Leeds started the game brightly, winning an early free kick through Joe Gelhardt and Crysencio Summerville forced former Leeds stopper Alex Cairns into a decent save.

Following the free kick, Salford created their first chance of the match, Luke Bolton broke down the right wing, before finding Callum Hendry in the Leeds box, but he couldn’t turn his first time effort on target.

Willy Gnonto showed good skill down the left flank to break into the Salford box soon after, he found Georgino Rutter in the Salford area and he took a touch to control, before striking on the turn, but he could only fire over.

Gnonto then had an opportunity of his own when he was played forward by Archie Gray. The Italian international cut inside in the Salford box, before striking in goal, seeing his strike deflect wide after a fine block from Liam Shephard.

Gnonto again continued to cause problems down the left, this time he teed up Gelhardt in the Salford area and he shot first time, but saw his effort go wide of the right post.

Summerville then saw a shot deflect wide and from the resulting corner, the set-piece was played to him by Gnonto and the Dutchman saw a curling effort come back out off the post.

Moments later Gnonto had a brilliant chance when the ball fell to him 12 yards out inside the Salford box, but he blazed the chance over the crossbar, before Rutter and Gray combined, with the latter forcing a fine save from Alex Cairns with a strike from 25 yards.

Against the run of play, Salford took the lead as two former Leeds players combined. Luke Garbutt’s cross was met by Matt Smith and his header found the right corner giving Karl Darlow no chance.

The hosts nearly went further ahead from a corner, when Ossama Ashley met Stevie Mallan’s cross, but his header was just too high.

Ethan Ampadu fired a strike over the bar for the Whites from the edge of the box, before Summerville was denied by a superb Cairns save, as Daniel Farke’s side went in behind at the break.

Half time: Salford City 1-0 Leeds United

Salford made one change at the break, but it was Leeds who came out all guns blazing. Gnonto played a neat one-two with Gelhardt, before appearing to be felled in the Salford box, but the referee waved away the protests.

Mallan threatened for the hosts when he struck wide from 25 yards, before Leeds came close to an equaliser from a corner. Ampadu met Summerville’s cross, before Struijk saw a header saved well from close range.

Ampadu then saw a strike deflect just over as the Whites continued to press for an equaliser, following a well worked free kick.

Summerville was next to be denied by Cairns, with the Salford goalkeeper pulling off another fine stop to prevent his strike on the turn from finding the bottom corner.

Farke introduced Sam Greenwood in the 76th minute and he had an immediate impact. He delivered a free kick from the right, which deflected into the path of Struijk, who pounced and found the back of the net from close range.

Substitute Luis Sinisterra was denied by Cairns, before Summerville saw a strike blocked and Ampadu blazed over.

At the other end Darlow was called into action when the hosts broke forward and he made a good top to deny Connor McLennan.

With a minute of normal time remaining, Gnonto whipped in a cross from the right which was flicked on by Shackleton, but Cairns made another splendid save to deny Rutter.

From the resulting corner Rutter headed over, before Cairns was again called into action to make another brilliant stop to prevent Sinisterra.

In the closing stages of eight minutes of added time, Leeds were awarded a free kick, 25 yards from goal, right of centre and Greenwood was inches away from putting leeds United through, seeing his strike hit the crossbar and bounce over and the game went to penalties.

End of 90 minutes: Salford City 1-1 Leeds United

Penalties

Greenwood scored

Mallan scored

Struijk scored

McAleny scored

Rutter missed

Watson scored

Gnonto scored

Dackers scored

Sinisterra scored

McLennan missed